(Portland,
OR) Feb. 19, 2014 — Recently retired Portland State
University (PSU) geology professor Scott Burns was selected Outstanding Oregon
Scientist for 2014 by the Oregon Academy of Science. He will receive an
award for the honor on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Academy's annual meeting in
Eugene.

Scott Burns, courtesy of Portland State University

The Academy is honoring Burns for his
career-long body of work, much of it relating geology to the day-to-day lives
of Oregonians.

Burns headed a major research project
to map areas of radon exposure throughout Oregon. His research group's 2013
report prompted widespread media attention about the cancer-causing dangers of
radon -- which can enter through basement cracks – and what homeowners can do
about it. Soon after the coverage, hardware stores in some parts of the
state that Burns identified as high risk had difficulty keeping home radon
tests in stock.

Burns also is known for his research
on landslides, hazard mapping, heavy metals and trace elements in soils, and
the prehistoric Missoula Floods that shaped much of Oregon. An amateur wine
maker, Burns also is an authority on the effects and importance of soils in the
growing of premium wine grapes – a quality known as terroir.

Frequently interviewed by Portland
television stations on all things having to do with local geology, Burns continues
to be a public face of Portland State.

Burns joined the PSU faculty in 1990
after 20 years of teaching in Switzerland, New Zealand, Colorado, Louisiana,
and Washington. He retired from PSU in December 2013. He has taught summer courses
at Stanford University for the last 24 years, through which he has led groups
to the Alps, Alaska, national parks in the United States and Canada, and on
winery tours to learn about terroir. He is scheduled to lead
a Smithsonian tour to Iceland in summer 2015.

The Oregon Academy of Science was
formed in 1943 as a networking organization for scientists, and to promote
university and pre-college scientific organizations that encourage interest in
the sciences, math and engineering. It began its annual Outstanding Oregon
Scientist award in 1949. Past winners from Portland State include geologist
Andrew Fountain (2008), chemist Carl Wamser (2002) and physicist Gertrude
Rempfer (1998).

About Portland State University (PSU)
Located in Portland, Oregon, PSU has about 30,000 undergraduate and
graduate students. PSU's motto is "Let Knowledge Serve the City," and we
provide every student with opportunities to work with businesses, schools and
organizations on real-world projects. Our downtown campus exhibits PSU's
commitment to sustainability with green buildings, while sustainability is
incorporated into much of the curriculum.